Colombian Coffee Company Juan Valdez Kicks Off 60-Store South Florida Expansion

Caffeine lovers, cancel your trip to Bogotá: Farmer-owned Colombian coffee company Juan Valdez has landed in downtown Miami.

Jump-starting its long-stalled U.S. expansion, Juan Valdez had a soft opening of the first of 60 planned South Florida cafés Monday at 101 NE Second Ave.

The store officially opened to the public on Monday and was packed to the gills with local franchisees and winners of the Juan Valdez social media contest to meet members of the Colombian national soccer team.

Juan Valdez is entering a Starbucks-dominated market just five days after the Seattle company opened its first Colombian store.

Frank Rodriguez Melo, CCIM of Melo Real Estate (pictured above with the official Juan Valdez) has been working with JVC Franco and Director Denice Landaeta in the property identification process for the last year or so.

“We landed the first location at 101 NE 2nd Ave the northern section of Downtown Miami, 10 weeks in the making from start finish of the buildout,” commented Rodriguez.

The second store will open at 364 SE 1 Street, also in Downtown Miami, around August 10th. There are ongoing negotiations for a  South Beach location, as well as locations in Wynwood, Pinecrest and a possible North Miami location, with a goal of 60 stores in South Florida in five years.
Rodriguez will be orchestrating the search for additional prime South Florida locations. The company also hopes to tackle the Texas and California markets, where brand recognition is high.

Juan Valdez offers many of the same drinks Americans are used to — espressos, lattés — along with regional blends such as the cedar-and-vanilla Santander and Huila, known for its sweetness and body. The pricing will likely draw the same clientele as your local Starbucks: A 12-ounce latté in the new Juan Valdez store goes for $2.95, a 16-ounce for $3.65.

Internationally, Juan Valdez operates more than 270 stores in 13 countries. Aggressive expansions in Southeast Asia and the Middle East will nearly double that number by 2019.

 
Source:  Miami Herald

 

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